Senior Mechanical Engineer

ABOUT THE ROLE A fast-moving, venture-backed robotics startup in Austin, TX — building multi-mission ground robots for emergency response, industrial operations, and defense — is hiring a Senior Mechanical Engineer to take end-to-end ownership of critical mechanical and electro-mechanical systems. You'll work directly with the founding team in a small, highly capable group with backgrounds from NASA, Lockheed Martin, and top defense research organizations, engineering hardware that operates in some of the most demanding environments imaginable: extreme heat, corrosive conditions, and water-heavy deployments. This is a fully on-site, in-person role based in Austin, TX. Visa sponsorship is not available. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Own multiple mechanical and electro-mechanical systems across all stages of product maturity — from concept through production. - Collaborate directly with the founding team to validate and translate requirements into final engineering solutions. - Drive concept validation and rapid iteration; build representative test platforms as needed to generate critical learnings quickly. - Develop solutions across systems — producing concepts, 3D CAD models, and physical prototypes. - Lead design reviews to evaluate designs, engineering drawings, and assemblies; recommend actions to prevent issues before they arise. - Conduct mechanical analysis (strength, reliability, assembly) on critical systems to verify designs meet requirements. - Develop system-level testing procedures and methods; design jigs, test fixtures, and tooling as required. - Perform root cause analysis on hardware failures encountered during development and field deployment. - Assemble and build systems to support testing or manufacturing efforts. - Document design rationale, analysis, test results, and engineering recommendations. - Monitor progress across concurrent projects; diagnose blockers and keep stakeholders informed. - Ensure compliance with relevant industry standards, regulations, and best practices across mechanical, thermal, and environmental design. - Engage directly with end users to inform and refine engineering direction where necessary. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR Required: - 5–10 years of hands-on mechanical engineering experience, with demonstrated seniority in owning systems end-to-end. - Expertise in electro-mechanical systems integration and proven ability to lead mechanical engineering teams and projects through the full product lifecycle. - Proficiency with SolidWorks (CAD) and Ansys (FEA/simulation) for mechanical design and analysis. - Design and engineering experience for components and systems operating in high-temperature, corrosive, and water-heavy environments. - Strong engineering fundamentals; degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field. - Experience mentoring or coaching engineers and contributing to team development. - Ability to context-switch across multiple concurrent projects and adapt to fast-changing priorities. - Must be able to work fully on-site in Austin, TX — no remote or hybrid arrangements. Nice to Have: - Background in aerospace, defense, robotics, or other high-reliability hardware industries. - Experience at organizations operating at the intersection of hardware and hazardous-environment robotics. COMPENSATION & BENEFITS - Salary: $130,000 – $250,000 USD annually, depending on experience. - Equity participation in a venture-backed early-stage company. - Opportunity to work on high-impact, mission-critical hardware with a small, elite team. LOCATION Austin, Texas, United States — fully on-site. Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.